As of early 2025, 1,255 cultural heritage sites of national and local significance in Ukraine have been damaged or destroyed by Russian forces, according to the Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications.
This figure continues to grow amid incessant Russian airborne attacks. Assessing damage in occupied territories remains impossible at this time.
In December 2024 alone, 33 cultural heritage sites were damaged across six regions, including Zaporizhzhia, Kirovohrad, Sumy, Mykolaiv, and Kharkiv, as well as the capital, Kyiv.
The affected sites include 125 of national significance and 1,055 of local importance. The regions most impacted by the destruction are Kharkiv (324 sites), Kherson (180), Donetsk (164), Odesa (137), and Chernihiv (65).
Large portions of Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, and Kherson regions remain under Russian occupation, further complicating damage assessment efforts.
In response, Ukraine is adopting measures to preserve its cultural heritage.
One key initiative is digital preservation. The Ukrainian civil society group Arhaїс reported that the Ukrainian Heritage Digitization and Dissemination Initiative (UHDDI) has been operating for two years to safeguard heritage.
Using photogrammetry, three-dimensional models of heritage sites are being created, preserved in digital archives, and utilized for restoration, virtual museums, and educational purposes. Should a site be destroyed, these archives ensure that exact digital replicas of the heritage sites remain intact.
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